Ole Miss fan Vince Hinson, right, and his girlfriend, Ole Miss student Lauren Brady, second from right, gear up for the Friday afternoon pep rally with family and friends. / Alex McDaniel/The Clarion-Ledger

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At a glance

The BBVA Compass Bowl, featuring Ole Miss and Pitt, kicks off at noon today from Birmingham on ESPN.

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BIRMINGHAM — It’s a chilly Friday afternoon in Birmingham as thousands of college football fans continue to pour into the city and surrounding suburbs, many of them making their way to the Five Points South district where the BBVA Compass Bowl festivities have already begun.

The streets are filled with vendors, merchandise and even a main stage for all-day entertainment. They’re also filled with an overwhelming amount of red and blue.

David Hill is sharing a conversation with seven of his family members, their navy hoodies almost unnoticeable amid the red and blue Rebel deluge filling the streets, except, of course, for that instantly identifiable golden script.

But they’re not just a family of Pitt fans; they’re a Pitt family. David’s 17-year-old twin boys, Matthew and Elliott, have already applied to attend the university after high school.

This year, their bowl trip is a family affair.

“My brother and I travel to the bowls every year,” Davis said. “This time, we decided to bring everyone else.”

David’s eyes suddenly light up as a BBVA Compass Bowl event coordinator walks over to shake his hand. It’s been an entire year since they’ve seen each other.

While it might have been a fair assumption that the Panthers’ fanbase wouldn’t care as much about attending the team’s third consecutive Compass Bowl, particularly given the thousands of additional tickets Ole Miss purchased from Pitt’s allotment to satisfy demand, David said there’s something comforting about returning to Birmingham again and seeing people he’s bonded with in past years.

There is a common disconnect between opposing bowl teams who often have several differences between them beyond which conference they’re in.

David reinforced this when, moments after asking if “The Blind Side" was about Ole Miss or Mississippi State, Leigh Anne Tuohy walked right past the family in a bright red blazer with husband Sean close behind.

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No one blinked an eye.

But the Hills’ emphasis on gameday tradition when it comes to food, family and football doesn’t sound all that removed from what Ole Miss fans hold dear on fall Saturdays in the Grove.

“We’re really just about the people,” David’s brother, Harry, said. “Pittsburgh is very much about the people.”

Ole Miss pharmacy student Lauren Brady, 25, won’t let go of her red stadium pom-pom, even though the temperature has dropped, and she and her entourage would rather linger on the balcony of their Southside bar than sit inside.

Her mother, Jenny, 51, understands, her daughter’s excitement. A lifelong fan herself, she and her daughter are self-proclaimed Ole Miss die-hards.

And it’s possible their passion has never been stronger than right now. Lauren said of all the years she’s been at Ole Miss, this past season stands out above the rest.

“I just feel like the team’s on the rise, as well as our school,” Lauren said. “Hugh Freeze came in and made us a family. Now we’re Rebel nation again. Before, we were starving for a win and now we’re getting back to where we should be.”

But the Bradys’ passion for Ole Miss football doesn’t end there.

Family friend Molly Mimms, 46, is also on that balcony with a constant smile and a “Hotty Toddy” sticker on her cheek.

She’s quick to tell anyone within earshot just how much she loves the Rebels — not a small feat for someone who grew up in a family of Bulldogs and went on to be a Chi O at Mississippi State.

She said all it took to jump the fence separating Mississippi’s most contentious rivalry was getting to know the Bradys after her daughter, Maylen Musgrove, decided to attend Ole Miss.